Observations, articles, opinions etc. in Dutch and English. The author, Bert de Bruin (Yonathan Dror Bar-On), is a Dutch-Jewish historian, who has specialized in modern Jewish history and in the history of the Middle East, and who in 1995 emigrated from the Netherlands to Israel. He wrote one book (2008), and edited another (2011), both in Dutch. For feedback please post a comment, or send this blog's author an email: (hisdutchname)atyahoodotcom

Monday, May 16, 2005

As if by accident, another report dealing with Israel's Foreign Ministry's professionalism. This time the country's embassy in Budapest is involved.

One of the issues under investigation:

" According to the document, the ambassador held a very oppulent event for Independence Day, described by people who attended the evening as "overly extravagant." Army Radio reported that the event cost a total of $100,000. [...] In relation to the Independence Day event, he { ambassador Admon } said: "A while after my arrival to Hungary several anti-Semitic events ocurred, and enjoyed a lot of media attention. Our wish was to put together a large event on Independence Day [as a response]. I contacted the foreign ministry in Jerusalem, but was allocated a mere $3,000. What can one do with such a sum?"".

I could give some suggestions to Mr Admon what one can do with such a sum in Hungary ( or in Israel ), but what really interests me is how he managed to turn a $3000 budget into a $100.000 event. Maybe he could teach our Finance Minister some tricks?